Non-domestic Rates: Appeals

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals for the reduction of rates have been (a) made and (b) successful in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 12 November 2013
	To assist public scrutiny in how the rating appeals system operates over a revaluation cycle, I have published as follows figures for the last 10 financial years for England and Wales. It shows that the number of formal challenges received in the last three years is broadly similar to the profile at the same point over the last revaluation cycle.
	
		
			 Formal challenges received 
			 Local rating list 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 1995 440 440 150 50 40 10 - - - - 
			 2000 148,720 135,270 43,640 2,390 80 40 20 - - - 
			 2005 n/a n/a 273,440 134,550 104,490 133,490 233,770 51,100 5,240 180 
			 2010 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 233,170 171,480 115,380 
		
	
	
		
			 Decisions on formal challenges that resulted in a change 
			 Local rating list 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 1995 13,990 2,490 410 70 70 60 10 10 - 10 
			 2000 81,780 79,120 59,720 6,200 950 390 330 150 60 20 
			 2005 n/a n/a 12,570 75,300 63,730 44,010 55,400 51,900 12,950 27,830 
			 2010 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,280 37,800 50,000 
			 Notes: 1. The indicative data for the 1995 and 2000 rating lists was compiled in a different way (from internal management information reports), so are not precisely comparable with 2005 and 2010 lists, however, the figures illustrate the broad trends over the revaluation cycle. Procedural processes have also changed over time. 2. Decisions on formal challenges will include formal challenges received in a previous financial year. 
		
	
	Further to my answer to the right hon. Member of 28 November 2013, Official Report, columns 387-88W, I would observe:
	These figures are for appeals against revaluations that were carried out under the last Administration.
	Three quarters of all appeals to the 2010 list which have been decided to date have resulted in no change to the rateable value.
	The postponement of the 2015 rates revaluation has allowed the Valuation Office Agency to allocate more resources to clearing appeals.
	Latest figures now show that almost 300,000 appeals were cleared in England in the 18 months to September 2013. The number of outstanding rating appeals has now fallen to 168,000 from a peak of almost 340,000, showing a fall in eight successive quarters.
	Notwithstanding the extra resources being allocated to tackle the backlog thanks to the postponement of the 2015 revaluation, this Government wants to increase transparency in the valuation system, including improve the system for challenging rateable values. We will publish proposals in due course.